Recruitment model for soldiers to create an ‘Agniveer’ rank

NEW DELHI: Soldiers recruited in the defence services under a new short-term recruitment policy called Agnipath (also referred to as tour of duty in the past) will be inducted in the Indian armed forces as Agniveers, a new distinct rank, as opposed to sepoys who joined the army under the legacy recruitment model, officials familiar with the matter said on Monday.

“The Agniveers will form a distinct rank in the three services, and will also wear distinctive insignia as part of their uniform,” said one of the officials cited above. The Centre is likely to announce the new recruitment policy Tuesday, setting the stage for the army to restart its recruitment process after a twoyear freeze due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The Agnipath model envisages the recruitment of personnel below officer rank in the army, air force and navy for four years, including six months of training, the officials said. The proposal has been at the centre of an intense debate in military circles, with several veterans arguing that disadvantages may outweigh the advantages. The soldiers recruited under Agnipath will be released from service after four years, though the new system will have a provision for retaining around 25% of them after another round of screening.

They are likely to be given a severance package of over ₹11 lakh, though they will not be entitled to pension. However, the ones retained will serve for another 15 years, and will be entitled to pension. The recruits under Agnipath will draw a salary of ₹30,000-₹40,000 per month, the officials said, adding that they will also get a non-contributory insurance cover of ₹48 lakh,and a skill certificate, officials said.

The new model will result not only in bringing down the pension bill but also lead to lowering the soldiers’ age profile in units, the officials said. Soldiers recruited through the normal process serve for about 20 years before retiring in their late 30s with a pension. Recruitment rallies under the new model are expected to be conducted from August to December, as reported by HT on May 28. Around 45,000 men, in the age group of 17-and-a-half and 21 years, are likely to be recruited under the first phase of recruitment.

While the exact details of the new recruitment model are not known, the officials said it is likely to do away with specific class composition in certain regiments and create an All-india All-class system. The army is currently short of around 125,000 soldiers in the PBOR cadre, with the deficiency growing at the rate of more than 5,000 men every month. It has an authorised strength of 1.2 million soldiers.

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